Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Saturday (April 5) the agency has commissioned Brain Trust Inc., a third party evaluator, to assess the effectiveness of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and its synergy with other government anti-poverty initiatives.
“We procured the service of a third party vendor, Brain Trust Inc. founded by Dr. Cielito Habito, to look at the success rate of pulling people out of poverty gamit ang 4Ps at in its relation to other government anti-poverty programs like Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) and Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP),” Secretary Gatchalian said during the Saturday News Forum at the Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
The DSWD chief noted that it will be the first time that the program will be evaluated by a third-party evaluator, and results are expected sometime in October.
“This is a comprehensive study, and we expect to receive the results sometime in October. For the first time, a third-party evaluator will assess the success of these programs in alleviating poverty,” Secretary Gatchalian told reporters at the news forum.
Secretary Gatchalian said under Republic Act No. 11310 or the 4Ps Act, there is an impact assessment component to evaluate the effectiveness of the 4Ps, the veracity of the list of household-beneficiaries and the program implementation.
“Ang 4Ps ay mayroong built-in na impact assessment sa batas. Ang nagpapatakbo nyan ay ang Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), every three years,” Secretary Gatchalian explained to the media.
The DSWD chief said some of the “early indicators of the 4Ps’ success” include the educational attainment of the monitored children.
Since 2010, approximately 12.2 million children have graduated from school under the program, with 4.2 million completing elementary and 4.5 million finishing high school.
According to Secretary Gatchalian, there have been around 37,000 board passers among the beneficiaries.
Another success indicator discussed by the DSWD chief was the higher enrollment rates among 4Ps households.
“Ang pinakaimportante rito, sa impact assessment, yung enrollment ng mga bata from primary education all the way to senior high school, laging mas mataas pagdating sa 4Ps na mga pamilya,” the DSWD chief explained.
Secretary Gatchalian said nearly nine out of 10 children from 4Ps families continue their education up to junior or senior high school, surpassing the rates of their non-4Ps counterparts.
Secretary Gatchalian said the DSWD remains committed to continuously evaluating and improving its programs to ensure that they effectively address the needs of the poor and vulnerable sectors, ultimately contributing to the nation’s goal of poverty reduction.
The 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and a human capital investment program of the Philippine government, with DSWD as the lead agency.
Eligible household-beneficiaries of the program are entitled to receive cash subsidies provided that the conditions on health, nutrition, and education are followed. (YADP)